3 Yankees Who Will Be Beyond Saving With a Poor Subway Series Performance

This veteran trio has a lot to prove at Citi Field this weekend.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone could be motivated to pull the plug if any of these three players' performance worsens in the Subway Series. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Yankees had a much-needed rest day on Thursday after dropping six of their last eight games. The day off couldn't have come at a better time, as manager Aaron Boone needs to get his players back on track after losing hold of the American League's top spot. The Yankees will now attempt to turn things around as they visit the Mets for the first half of the annual Subway Series.

Stones shouldn't be cast at glass houses, but it's hard not to feel good about the Yankees ahead of the interleague action.

The Mets are firmly in basement-dwelling territory, owning a National League East-worst 18-25 record, including a 9-12 record at Citi Field. Sure, the Mets are coming off a three-game sweep of the Tigers, but that isn't a mind-blowing achievement, especially since Detroit also owns a losing record.

In other words, the Subway Series will be the perfect opportunity for the Yankees to recorrect their course, especially when it comes to these three players who have left much to be desired this season.

1. Camilo Doval, RHP

Camilo Doval isn't giving the Yankees much reason to believe in a turnaround. Will he help his case vs. the Mets? | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yankees fans more or less experience headaches anytime it's announced that Camilo Doval is entering a game. The Bombers' bullpen has been a concern since the end of March, and it's safe to say that the struggling right-handed reliever has done more to add to the problem rather than help with a solution.

Through his first 18 appearances, Doval has pitched to a 5.74 ERA with three homers and 10 earned runs on as many hits allowed in 15 2/3 innings. Opposing batters are averaging 55.3% hard-hit rate and a .429 slugging percentage against the Dominican hurler, both noticeably above the MLB averages of 39.4% and .404, respectively.

Adding to his grim outlook is the fact that Doval has recently struggled against the Mets. He's pitched to a disastrous 7.71 ERA in his last five encounters with them after allowing four earned runs on as many hits in 4 2/3 innings.

With potential bullpen upgrades waiting in free agency, on the trade market, and internally, Doval can't afford another poor effort vs. one of baseball's worst teams. If he can't step up, it'll be more than clear that it's time for him to step aside.

2. Ryan McMahon, 3B

Ryan McMahon has shone at times, but he hasn't been consistently good enough for the Yankees. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Ryan McMahon has been doing his best yo-yo impression throughout the first few months of the 2026 season. The veteran third baseman was among the Yankees' most underwhelming offensive contributors in March and most of April, only to turn back the clock and make it seem like his All-Star days were back with a strong start to May.

It only took a week for McMahon to evaporate any goodwill he created, as he's back to looking lost at the plate. The 31-year-old infielder only has one hit in his last six games, a stretch of 18 at-bats. He hasn't drawn a walk since the clash with the Rangers on May 7, and has struck out seven times since then. He also has a 36% hard-hit rate during that time, per Baseball Savant, which is a drop-off from his season average of 50.7%.

The Yankees will have a tough time competing for a World Series as long as McMahon remains an offensive and defensive concern. They have internal options (George Lombard Jr., José Caballero) to replace him, and that's without considering potential trade deadline targets.

With an $18 million salary this season, moving on from McMahon might be easier said than done. At the same time, if he can't perform well against a lowly team like the Mets, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman might be motivated to find a 3B upgrade much sooner than August's deadline.

3. Anthony Volpe, SS

Anthony Volpe doesn't have forever to prove his worth to the Yankees. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After spending time in Triple-A following his rehab, Anthony Volpe returned to the Yankees earlier this week. With Caballero missing time because of an injured middle finger, Volpe was promoted from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in what could be his last chance to prove himself to Boone & Co.

Unfortunately, Volpe's return game didn't go as planned. None of the Yankees' bats produced on Wednesday afternoon, including the 25-year-old shortstop, who went hitless with a strikeout in three ABs. That would be bad enough if that were all that went wrong. But that wasn't the case as Volpe bobbled a routine groundball, resulting in an error in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Anthony Volpe error in his first game back pic.twitter.com/igSFcoF5iY

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 13, 2026

With Caballero hoping to return as soon as possible from his 10-day IL stint, Volpe doesn't have much time to prove he shouldn't be demoted again. That means he'll have to get the ball rolling against the Mets, as failing to do so would quickly prove that his call-up was a mistake. He doesn't want that, whether he hopes to remain in the Big Apple or to land a fresh start via trade.

The pressure was already high for Volpe as soon as the Yankees promoted him. Now, he'll have an even smaller margin for error after Wednesday's blunder, emphasizing how important the Subway Series will be for his outlook.